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When a loyal client wanted to design a high-performance audio/video system in an unconventional space, Definitive Audio jumped at the chance.
“This is the client’s ‘adult toy house,’” Definitive Audio’s Craig Abplanalp enthused. Open and spacious, it serves myriad purposes. It houses the client’s impressive motorcycles, Ferrari and Mercedes collections, woodworking and metalworking studios, and now, it is a showcase for audio/video delights.
This exciting property is located on Washington State’s Whidbey Island, while the client’s main home is located in Seattle. The region typifies Pacific Northwest flair, is noted for its vineyards, sustainable villages and hamlets, and is a recreation destination during every season.
The client knew that he wanted a high-octane, high-end system, but not in a predictable way. “He did not want a prototypical room,” Abplanalp clarified. “He wanted a live and actual listening room within this space.” By attuning to the client’s wish list and understanding his lifestyle needs, Definitive Audio helped define the technological possibilities.
Because Definitive Audio has two fully outfitted showrooms, one in Seattle and one in Bellevue, clients can test-drive their options before contracting a system. “Experience matters,” Abplanalp stressed, “as does knowledge of the provider and a nicely appointed showroom. The place where experience and vision meet is in a properly installed system, calibrated and tested for perfection.”
After exploring the possibilities, the Definitive team and the client partnered to created a reference-quality system. They also designed sophisticated lighting control for the whole property. The staff acoustician helped ensure superior audio quality during the room design, including speaker placement and acoustic treatments on the walls and ceiling. The V-shaped seating arrangement provides improved performance over a wider range of seating positions and creates a true money seat for the primary listener.
The ceiling of the listening room was acoustically treated with absorptive and diffusive materials, all hidden behind acoustically transparent fabric. The area immediately surrounding the Runco plasma display was treated with a similar technique. Abplanalp said that the interior designer on the project had an excellent aesthetic sensibility; the color palate, art, furniture, and carpeting were all harmonious with a Pacific Northwest theme. The cabinetry features handsome cherry wood. Reclaimed wood was used from an old barn to add a refreshing mix of old and new.
While the designer created alchemy with furniture and art, Definitive Audio brought in the mechanics to make this A/V masterpiece run on all cylinders. Robust products from Wilson Audio, Runco, Linn, and Transparent Cable fit the bill. To tastefully integrate some of the equipment, the Definitive team made tables out of a Halcro DM-68 and a Wilson Audio Watch Dog subwoofer. Custom-made glass tops and breathable fabric covers were fashioned to integrate these items tastefully into the decor.
“We are a trusted source and that is a big point of differentiation [among competitors],” Abplanalp added. As for this client, he is so excited that he pinches himself, literally, everyday. “He wrote us an e-mail saying that in the beginning he thought he was crazy to spend the money, but now he knows it is worth every single penny. He is really having fun with it.” yy
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